Names of Mars craters will not be recognized

A plan to sell the names of Mars' craters in order to raise money is not going so well. Reports suggest that commercial venture Uwingu, which looks to raise money for space research, isn't allowed to name any astronomical objects and all the names that had previously been sold will not be recognized.

"Such initiatives go against the spirit of free and equal access to space, as well as against international recognized standards," the International Astronomical Union said. "Hence no purchased names can ever be used on official maps and globes."

The co-founder of Uwingu opposed the IAU and said the organization needs to "stop being the self-licking ice cream cone of the scientific community, and recognize that as long as its existence is merely to gratify its own puritanical principles and sense of elitism, it is not going to be a part of the next wave of space exploration."